How to Install Apps on SD Card without Android Rooting
At AndroidAdvices, it’s our continuous endeavor to assist with all your Android needs and we are always happy to hear from you. So whenever you wanted anything about anything about your Android then we are here to help you out. So, in lines with this though in this article we will check out on how you can forcefully install the Android applications on your SD Card without needing you to root the phone as we understand that rooting voids the warranty and includes hassles sometimes. Only one thing which we would like to request you is to just follow each and every single instruction which we mentioned so as to forcefully install the apps on your SD CARD as some phones are not capable of storing apps on SD Card.
Before you proceed, you need to move all the applications from your SD Card to the phone memory. Once you do this, you can proceed to follow the procedure which is mentioned below.
Procedure to Install apps in SD Card Forcefully:
- Download Java Development Kit (JDK) followed by which you need to download the Software Development Kit (SDK) in your computer along with that you need to download the USB Drivers and also you need to ensure that the PC Suite is installed in your computer.
- Now, enable the USB Debugging Mode from the path “Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging”. You can also refer to the below mentioned image to enable the same.
After installing the Java SDK, you need to install the Android SDK in your computer. After installing the Android SDK, you now need to run the tool called the Android SDK Platform tools.- Now, you will have to head to the toolkit which contains the Android Debug Bridge, a utility that allows you to communicate with an Android device from the command line.
- After this, you need to connect the Android phone to the computer using the USB Cable.
- Open the command prompt in your computer which you can open by pressing the “Windows + R” and then you need to type in the command as “cmd” and then enter the path as Android\Android-SDK\Platform-tools.
- Now, you need to type in the command as “adb devices” to check whether the phone is connected or not. Now, if it appears as “offline”, you need to check with the USB cable. Enter the command as “netstat” to check with the port is in use or not. If it is in use then then you need to close the process which is in the use.
- You will now need to proceed and check whether all the firewall and antivirus tools are disabled as these tools generally tend to interrupt the process.
- Now, all you need to do is to enter the command as “setInstallLocation” wherein after which it will accept the three valueswhich means;
0 [auto]: Let the phone decide the best location for an app
1 [internal]: It installs everything in the internal storage
2 [external]: It installs everything in the memory card
- You need to now change the value from 0 to 2 setInstallLocation. For changing this, you need to run the following command,
adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2
Just in case if there is no error message, unplug the phone and restart the phone. After this, you will be in a position to easily install the applications in the SD Card. Do let us know just in case if you face any issues as we will try our level best to ensure that the issues are addressed at the earliest.
I would like to ask a question – will this work with Android 2.1 (Eclaire)? If so, while the above procedures will enable me to install apps to my SD card, will I have the option to install apps to my phone’s internal memory or at least move some apps from the SD card to the internal memory. Thanks for the great advises. This is a great information source for things Android.
yes, we haven’t got a chance to test on 2.1 but you can check with the same!
Hi,
I could not find this command “setInstallLocation”
re connect the device and then try! is the device getting detected?
Neal please answer wich of the gingerbread are new official update in france xxjvt or xfjva????
XXJVT Is official
And also xxjvt battery is good or xfjva battery is good??
in both of them battery life is good
And also as of now wich of the firmware is stable with battery also on gt-i9000
My device is detected. But i Couldn’t find this command “setInstallLocation”. When I tried executing the command directly “adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2″ . It is accepted.
Now it allows to move some application to SD card.
Model:HTC Wildfire
Android 2.2
Can I use it for my Samsung Galaxy Fit S 5670? When I go to JDK and SDk sites I find lot of options for downloading. Please let me know which one to choose. I have windows XP on my computer. The phone has Gingerbread 2.3.4 version. Please guide me further. Is it for common users or this setting is for advanced users?
yes you can use for your device!
hi whn i give the command \netstat\ in command prompt,it says\TIME-WAIT\.and also i cant able to execute \SetinstallLocation\ system says cant find the path,Is it possible for u guys to solve this issue???????
Directly execute this command “adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2″. It will work. Please see all the comments
Does it mean we ALWAYS install apps on SD by default already?
and we can have option still to move to phone after that rite?
but if we move to SD after that does it move to internal or external sd? for devices like galaxy w i8150 with 3 layer memory…
you can move the apps to your internal sd!
We have the same dilemma. I also own a Galaxy W I8150 and when I move my apps to SD card it will always install it to the internal 2nd partition not in the external SD card(micro SD card). I think what he meant was after we move the app to the internal memory then back to external SD will it still be moved to the 2nd partition of the internal memory?
yes it will be moved to the user level access memory!
setInstallLocation cant be found!!!!
please have a look on dis
Directly execute the command “adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2″ . Please see all the comments before asking question.
When setting the default installation location to 2 will it install everything to the external storage/micro sd card? I use aps2sd and I noticed that apps2sd just transfers the apps to the internal memory 2nd partition.(using samsung) I thought it will move the apps to my external storage/micro sd card. I hope this will solve my problem without me rooting my phone. Anyone have tried this guide?
Please reply all the questions and difficulties I mentioned.
Hey when i trying to install packages it showing failed to create directory what can i do plz tell me i am in a knee desire of free space please reply me
yes you can apply this procedure to move the apps!
hi pradeep m not able to find the path on command i typed as u hv instructed but it says path not found plz help
which app you are trying to install?
Hi,
Recently i have purchase superpad (android 2.3.4, model SAWEE) with 4GB internal memory. i wish to add 4GB SD card and move all application to SD due to lack of internal memory.
But not able to enable SD dubug, this is disabled, and no option to enable debug.
I do not have wifi and purchased 3G modem and also not detected.
Could you please advice the root to enable SD card and drive to enable USB 3G wireless modem ( it only supports XP)
thanks
you can root your device and move apps to sd by using an app called apps2sd
After entering the path “then enter the path as Android\Android-SDK\Platform-tools.”, it shows “The system cannot find the path specified”. Please advise.
please check with the folder “Android-SDK”
hi, can i use tiz for my galaxy W?
yes you can very well use it
My device was not detected… somebody help me
where your device is not getting detected?
Hello,
Will this work on my Samsung Galaxy mini running Android version 2.3.5??
Thanks
yes it will but for this you need to root the device!
New to Android!
Just bought an Archos 80 G9 for my wife very surprised and dissapointed that Honeycomb seems unable to write to SD Card apparently only having ‘read’ ability. Am I right thinking that the above would therefore not work with Honeycomb.
If not is there a way of installing applications to the SD card using a PC that would be seen and run by the Honeycomb Tablet once the SD card is returned to the tablet.
I already have installed on my PC the full SDK with tools and simulator but to be honest up until now have had little use for it other than just playing about.
Thanks any help/advise very much appreciated
Hi I have a Galaxy W and how can i directly install APPS in my EXTERNAL SD.. this process that your teaching is this the solution?
hi i have tried it and keeps on saying permission denied
no for this you need to root and install apps2sd
do you have any blog about rooting the device and installing the apps2sd?
you need to roott he device first and then make use of the app called apps2sd
Hi, I used Samsung Ace,
permission denied
How can I download Platform Tool?? It has nothing in it..
which platform tool?
when I connected my HTC mobile it asked me for ADB file and it cannot be found, therefore software was not insatlled. I gave up
hi when install android sdk after executing it there is showing only android sdk tool and not showing android sdk platform tool.what should i do?
just install the same again and try!
i tried to adb shell pm setinstalllocation 2. but its giving me error message.
what is the error message?
Does this move apps to the 2nd internal position on say the galaxy s2 or optimus 3d or the actual external sd card?
Some phones easily allow transfer to external sd eg Sony ericcson x10. Others just transfer to internal 2nd partition.
To repeat will this work on galaxy s2 and move things to the actual external sd card?
please answer since a few wish to know.
I did as you told but apps won’t install on sd card nor would any app move to sd. using galaxy fit GT-S5670. android gingerbread 2.3.4. mail me too please.
yes you can use this but for this you will have to root the device!
Hi will this work on my HTc HD2 which i changed from windows to andriod(nexus one 2.3.4)
please follow the instructions!
hi neel,
i have restarted 2-3 times my galaxy ace but i cannot find my device in the list plz he me out
have you rooted the device?
Pradeep Neela… Is it mandatory to move all the apps to SD card before following the instructions. If yes do I’ve to move the apps including the one which are there by default. Frankly speaking… I am fearing of what will happen to my mobile, if my memory card gets corrupted.
root the device in the fat 32 mode!
Hi, Yesterday i bought HTC Explorer Android 2.3 Mobile. I’m a beginner of the Android services. Please suggest me any tutorial, how to operate my cell such as how to install the new apps from sd to cell, how to install the live wallpapers from pc to sd to cell…..etc. Please make reply….
so what if it says error: device not found
im having trouble i cant pull up anything from cmd and i put in the same commands Android\android-sdk\platform-tools and it says cant find path each time i have windows 7 so maybe thats the problem but pls help.
check witht he sdk installation! let the default path remain. dont change the default path
its seems that when i type Android\android-sdk….
isnt recognized
my cmd always starts with c:\users\(username)
not c:\program files or so
help?
Hi If you type cd.. it will close each (\) folder
so do it until you get C:\> the you need to know where is your android folder place in my case is under program files
so I type cd(space space)program files(enter)
c:\Program files> and here you type again cd(space space)what is on the instructions
(space space) means you have to hit space bar 2 times and write
try this; c:\users\{username}>set path=c:\program files…
Hey thanks for the article, I love new solutions without having to root. I dont care about moving the apps I have, the majority have been moved and the preinstalls I just stop and clear data once a week or so. What I would really like to do is be able to delete these lame preinstalled apps someone decided to force me have on my phone. If after performing the above procedure and apps have been moved sucessfully to the SD can they than be deleted? Thanks again!
you can root and check the same!
can we move default apps like facebook,google maps etc to sd card after this..?
yes you casn move the same!
When i executed adb devices, i got following. cant see my device.
C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools>adb devices
List of devices attached
C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools>
———–
Did netstat got many ports info, which one is for USB ?
you can use it for any port!
didn’t work for me..
iam using samsung tab p1000.. all configuration successfully without any error.. but the result is same.. application is not installed into sd card..
when i write adb shell or adb shell pm setinstallLocation 2.there are error on screen that device not found,please tell me the solution
what is the path of adb shell location! move it to the C:/ and not in desktop
Thank you it looks like work well in my Wildfire S ver: 2.3.5
The thing is that still installing the apps in the phone internal memory just that now I can move the apps that I can’t before
this command “setInstallLocation” didn’t work for me but did what it said after and I execute this command “adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2″ Directly and work
Are this thing work on SE Xperia Arc S Android 2.3 Gingerbread? because the internal mem is 320MB and my SD card is 8 GB.
Is it possible to be done on Android 2.1? I’m with Motorola Flipout MB511. Is it possible on that device?
doesn’t work for v2.1 (eclair)…
I have a Samsung prevail Android OS 2.3.6 (Gingerbread) and the internal space is only 200MB and full. Will this move all apps to my SD Card. If not I need a new phone ;-(.
So I got my device detected and then i enter adb shell. It loads the money symbol. Then i put db shell pm setInstallLocation 2 or setinstallLocation 2 and it says permission denied. Why ?
I am owning a HTC explorer (android 2.3.5)…when i tried this..the all process went smoothly… but when i typed setInstallLocation it says permission denied
I followed the all above steps…..Afte enteing adb shell $ symbol is coming and i entered pm setInstallLocation 2 but it it is telling ero command i tied fo many times but it is same…please help me in thz my phone numbe is 8123774899
i have partitioned my sd-card with one fat32 and one with ext4
then i folowed every step provided here but still my apps are installed i my internal memory.
please help
mount the sd card and then re apply the update!
Hi,
I am not able to change install location to external (2). It showing an error “device not found” when “adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2″ is entered. I have followed the instructions correctly. Can you please help me out?
I am having Sony Ericsson W8. I guess the OS in the phone is Android 2.2.
i’ve a question. will this work on lg optimus l3 e400?
no it wont work
Will ZD Box work for moving applications.
YES IT WILL WORK FOR MOVING ALL YOUR APPS